War Is Hell: The First Flight Of The Phantom Eagle Max

The Phantom Eagle #1

by Garth Ennis, Howard Chaykin (Contributor)

Set against the grim backdrop of Word War I, mysterious aviator Karl Kaufmann arrives on the western front dressed outlandishly and at the controls of his own plane. Overconfident and full of romantic ideals, he has come to fight and kill the Hun. But soon Kaufmann confronts staggering loss and witnesses violence on a scale he has never imagined. In the process, he learns the harsh truth of War is Hell! Collects War Is The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1-5.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, War, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.

Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.

Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.

Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.

While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.

Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.

After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.

In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.

Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.

In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.

In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

War coming of age tale by Garth Ennis with art by Howard Chaykin - well done! Stand alone GN like this are becoming a favorite of mine; kind of like a way of trying out what a particular artist/writer has to offer. The combination of Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin is fantastic - a real pleasure to read!

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Ennis war comic. Here we follow a young American dead set on fighting the Germans in WW1. He forges documents to get sent to the war front. At first I thought this was going to be about the heroic Phantom Eagle... but that's a bit of a joke. Karl Kaufmann isn't the heroic character he pretends to be, he's more of a clueless outsider who doesn't appreciate the cold brutality of war until he makes his first kill. Throughout the book he does start to fit in with the other soldiers and becomes a capable fighter. Ennis does a great job with creating a cast of soldiers, this world feels very alive and real even when the book gets a bit goofy.

I loved Ennis's depiction of war aviation in WWI. It's a really cool historic look. Chaykin illustrates here, I've always found him to be an odd artist. He uses a lot of pre rendered material, for example he'll have a highly detailed table and chairs in a panel with the more typical comic book illustrated characters sitting at it. It just looks odd. It works well for the aerial combat.

[L. McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man... why doesn’t Marvel publish more stuff like this?

What’s it about?
It’s World War I. Karl Kauffman is an adventurous airplane pilot. He one day claims to some folks in the British military that he was sent to their station. Well, he’s actually lying, seeking adventure but for obvious reasons can’t let them find out. Now, as well as keeping his secret he will have to fight in and experience the horrors of war.

Pros:
The story is very interesting and well done. Ennis knows how to write a brilliant war story as many comics have proven and this is in that list of comics.
The art is fantastic! Lots of detail and it gives the book it’s very good tone. Of course I looked up the artist, turns out he’s written some stuff too (his name is Howard Chaykin) so I’m more interested in reading that stuff now.
The characters are interesting.
The action scenes are frequent and absolutely fantastic. Lots of intensity, explosions and unlike many Marvel comics this one is willing to show the brutal, uncensored horrors of war (this is a MAX book so don’t hand this to little kids).
This book is pretty suspenseful.
There’s a bit of comic relief amongst the brutality and it’s well done.

Why not 5 stars?
The epilogue is slightly confusing.

Overall:
Excellent war story. If it weren’t for a confusing epilogue I would say it’s a masterpiece. I highly recommend this to fans of Ennis and/or war books. It’s an excellent story with amazing art, lots of action and suspense. It’s great. Read it.

4/5

[Federico · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first casualty of war is innocence.
Garth Ennis scrive l'ennesima, fulminante storia di guerra; una delle sue passioni (e si vede).
La miniserie (raccolta in un bel volume da Panini Comics) racconta la storia del tenente Kauffman, e del suo arrivo presso l'Escadrille Lafayette, una squadriglia di aviatori statunitensi di stanza in Europa, durante la prima guerra mondiale.
Il racconto si dipana tra voli e bevute tra ufficiali, con i tipici stilemi del racconto di guerra.
Nel mezzo tanti morti, e la progressiva presa di coscienza del protagonista.
Lo stile di Ennis è fulminante ed efficace come sempre, ed il racconto procede ispirato.

Alle matite, il veterano Howard Chaykin, con il suo stile inconfondibile, di elevatissimo valore.

Peccato per qualche sbavatura nella traduzione (lieutenant tradotto a volte 'tenente', a volte 'luogotenente').

Una lettura godibilissima, consigliata.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garth Ennis strays from his normal military history stomping grounds of World War II, and travels back to the first World War. This is the story of an American fighter pilot, with lots of ideals and a little secret, as he learns the reality of the air war. The art from Howard Chaykin is decent--relatively realistic looking, but it's sometimes difficult to tell the characters apart.

[Christian Lipski · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWI flying aces. A great look at the grim brutal reality of early air combat, seen through the eyes of a naive American pilot who craves glory.

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice war story from Ennis, much better than his previous air-war-one, the Battler Britton one.
Even Chaykin squarey art wasn't so untolerable it usually is.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in 1917

An ok story, with an artwork that almost made me rate this with one star. Personally, I don't like Chaykin's art, everyone looks the same with the same broad faces and round jawlines. You can't tell who's who and it's always in the type of stories I like the most.

So, anyway, the origin of Phantom Eagle, which, who cares really, but he was in them oldies so I guess some do because of nostalgia. It was with an interesting beginning but truthfully nothing happened and it was a mediocre war story.

[Ed McKeogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle" is not an easy read. Writer Ennis and artist Chaykin pull no punches in detailing the rigors and horrors of aerial combat during the Great War.

Updating an old, obscure Marvel character, Ennis and Chaykin bring modern sensibilities to a war comic and take the reader on a terrifying excursion into the life of a naive, young man who eagerly enters WWI without fully comprehending what he will face and what he must do to survive. Friendships grow from rivalries, but get cut short by a hail of bullets or agonizing engine fire during brutal, chaotic dogfights. His racist beliefs and narrow-minded worldview get challenged, and however reluctantly, he grows up. He watches helplessly as younger, poorly trained men are sent to their deaths by generals who don't know how else to conduct their war. And along the way, the protagonist becomes a kind of hero--not the kind his idealistic mindset thought he'd become, but the kind his men (or, rather, boys) need him to be.

Filled with heart- and gut-wrenching moments and dark, wartime humor, "War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle" is a superb comic that conveys the flavor and tenor of war without losing its human focus. Ennis' writing is accomplished and moves along smartly, without falling prey to the current comic book trend of decompressed, sluggish pacing. Chaykin's art does the jobs of distinguishing among and conveying the feelings of individual characters AND of presenting the sometimes confusing and often harrowing nature of dogfights. Together, Ennis and Chaykin have produced a book that is disturbing but honest and in no way intended for the easily offended or squeamish.

After all, war is hell.

Amen.

[Mati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karl Kaufmann thought that War will be some chivalry and full of honor,but sky above trenches of WW1 was far from that. He learnt many things hard way. It was sometimes not easy to read.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought WW2 was rough, WW1 was no better. One of the differences was that soldiers seemed to act more like gentlemen, there was more of a sense of honor in battle, men were still appaled when the unwritten rules of war were broken. WW1 rewrote everything people knew about war. It was a major turning point that changed the world. I bet there are still people asking themselves why man refused to learn the importance of life in the wake of the Great War. Why did we need a second world war, anyway?

Karl Kaufmann is a cocky pilot aching to get at the Germans during WW1. Before is forged papers are cleared he is already in the sky on his first flight. Fortunately for him, the officer who checks his papers gets killed in a propeller accident. Unfortunately for his squad, he is the only one to return to base. He scores a kill as well, which turns his stomach.

Karl's superiors still have a lot to teach him about flying, coping with killing another human being, having a sense of humor and being with the ladies. Even though he begins by feeling sick after his first two kills, the routine of flying, killing and having his squadmates die around him every day soon fortifies Karl into a skilled pilot and in the end, a squadron leader.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I'm into cliche' intros today, DC Comics did a lot of war comics. As Americans' views on war changed so did the story telling and the sales. The benefit was an emphasis on character, that war sucks and everyone gets screwed over (I'd recommend the early Enemy Ace stories, some of David Michelinie's Unknown Soldier tales). It is my understanding something similar happened in Britain with examples being Hellman, Panzer Grendier, and Charlie's War. So, I don't consider Ennis a war monger, but a writer who tries to examine characters and humanity through war.

Ennis takes an old Marvel Comics' character's name, but that is about all that connect the Karl Kaufman here and the one who had appeared earlier as The Phantom Eagle. This is a story about the ugliness, gore and dark humor found in war.

This is not a great story, but somehow felt right reading most of this on Memorial Day.

[Jay Banga · Rating 5 out of 5]

"War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle" by Garth Ennis is a compelling graphic novel that immerses readers in the brutal realities of World War I aerial combat. Through the eyes of Karl Kaufmann, a young and ambitious American pilot, Ennis masterfully blends historical authenticity with raw, emotional storytelling. The narrative is both thrilling and sobering, showcasing not only the adrenaline-fueled dogfights in the sky but also the profound psychological and moral impacts of war. The artwork by Howard Chaykin complements the story beautifully, capturing the chaotic and perilous nature of aerial battles. This graphic novel is a poignant reminder of the harrowing experiences faced by those who fought in one of history's most devastating conflicts, making it a must-read for both history buffs and graphic novel enthusiasts.

[Joseph Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow transformation of a hot shot fighter pilot from greenhorn to commander. The art style is lacking for a plane fighter as it does not capture the intensity of the fight well, but relies more on gore for effect. The angling of the pictures could really use work. It's hard to tell what's going on, and it requires multiple look throughs to get an idea of the flow of a battle.

To me, the protagonist was not that likeable. He's a brash idiot who wants to be a hero, knowing his lack of experience, but plowing through anyways. The brothel scene seemed either stupid or gratuitous. Boy becomes a man, and all his friends die. Such is the nature of war.

[Nate]

Spring 1917. American pilot Karl Kaufman arrives unrequested at the Western Front with idealistic dreams and forged identification papers. But after the man who uncovers his fraud is killed in a propeller accident, and hours later when he makes his first brutal kill, Kaufman’s innocence begins to chip away. Slowly, he learns that War is Hell.

This was decent. I'd never heard of the Phantom Eagle (Kaufman’s alias), originally a Golden Age character from Fawcett Comics, later rebooted by Marvel in the 60’s. Ennis essentially does his origin here. It’s well-written, but feels overly wordy. Most of the book is Kaufman and his squadron talking, and it’s a kind of boring to be honest. I think Ennis could’ve condensed the story down to, say, an oversize issue - it would’ve been more powerful and to the point. We also don’t really get into Kaufman’s head.

I'm not a fan of Howard Chaykin's art, especially how he draws faces (though the aerial scenes are quite good). I picked this book up because I’ve heard great things about Ennis’ war comics. While this series probably isn’t one of his best, I still want to read more, because I can tell he has a strong passion for war stories. Maybe I'll give it a reread when I have more Ennis war comics under my belt.

Re-read 2021: Now that I've read almost all of Ennis' war comics, I can confidently say this is one of his weaker efforts. It's well-written as always and I've warmed up to Chaykin's art, but I can't escape the fact that Karl Kaufmann is a supremely unlikable protagonist. I get what Ennis is doing, to show this naïve, cocky pilot getting clobbered by the harsh realities of war. But reading about this doofus for five issues isn't necessarily rewarding. Especially compared to the shattering humanity of Ennis' other, better war stories. I prefer the straight comedy approach of Ennis' second Phantom Eagle book where he has blast making fun of Kaufmann.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me suelen gustar las historias bélicas ni los aviones. Pero sí me suelen gustar los guiones de Ennis y los dibujos de Chaykin. Sobre todo si se juntan para armar una historia que homenajea, parodia y pone en tela de juicio, todo a la vez, las historias bélicas con aviones. Bonus extra al apartado gráfico por las técnicas de copy-paste excelentemente logradas que permiten, por ejemplo, que el escudo que llevan en las solapas varios personajes no pierda ningún detalle salga del tamaño que salga. Y extra al guionista por las muertes innecesarias que a fin de cuentas terminan recordándonos cómo es la guerra en la "realidad". Ahora habrá que ver si estos dos locos lindos hicieron otra cosa juntos.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história de idealismos falhados nos céus sobre as trincheiras assassinas da I Guerra. Ennis é um mestre a contar histórias de guerra que apesar de ficcionais são fiéis à realidade histórica e não desilude neste conto sobre um piloto idealista que colide com a sórdida realidade da luta nos ares. A carnificina violenta intersecta-se com a visão do piloto enquanto cavaleiro dos ares, e o que resta é a necessidade de sobrevivência. Sem honra ou valor, apenas mais um dia aos comandos da aeronave. O traço explosivo de Chaykin dá à história um cunho irreverente que contrasta com a tristeza perpassada pelo argumento. Para os fás da estética das aeronaves, o veterano ilustrador consegue brilhantes cenas de combate aéreo e alguma fidelidade visual às máquinas da época.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Varmistin pois ja liikkuvat taa / taas kaksoiskonekiväärit ne purtavaa saa..."

Ensimmäisen maailmansodan viimeisiin vuosiin sijoittuva sarjakuva-albumi nuoresta jenkkilentäjästä, joka saapuu idealismia uhkuen länsirintamalle, tietämättä lainkaan että todellisesta sodasta on kaikenlainen ritariromantiikka kaukana: ilmasodan motto onkin "Tapa ja tule ennemmin tai myöhemmin tapetuksi".

Ennisin ja Chaykinin käsialaa oleva sarjakuva ei ole ehkä omaperäisin mahdollinen, mutta sen realismin taju, synkkä huumori ja oivallinen taide tekevät siitä kuitenkin ihan mainion lukukokemuksen kaikille sotilasilmailusta kiinnostuneille.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Ennis war story about pilots in WWI. This one falls somewhere between his War Stories comics and Adventures in the Rifle Brigade on the seriousness scale. Kinda comic, kinda war-is-hell, but nearly the right abount of either. For a guy with such WWI and WWII fetishes, his best war story is still the one in Preacher about Jesse Custer's dad in the 'Nam.

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo dico, a me non piace Garth Ennis, perché è troppo ripetitivo e scontato nelle caratterizzazioni dei personaggi e nelle storie e questo lo trovo sempre un difetto.
In questa storia però si distacca abbastanza da questi difetti, e la prima guerra mondiale, descritta in parte della sua crudeltà e come fine dell'ingenuità rende bene.

[Jer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have gone with 2.5 stars. It was a good way to pass the time, though it may have been the constant distractions that prevented me from really feeling the story. I'd recommend it to "fans" of WWI.

[pierlapo quimby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, mi sono detto, Chaykin alle prese con una sceneggiatura di Ennis in una storia di guerra!
Avrebbero potuto venirne fuori due risultati: o l'opera definitiva sul genere, oppure una rimpatriata tra amici senza pretese.
Ecco, oppure...

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice art, story kind of jumped around, not that it was my usual cuppa tea anyway. Still, I did enjoy it.